Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5 Verse 21 भगवद् गीता अध्याय 5 श्लोक 21 बाह्यस्पर्शेष्वसक्तात्मा विन्दत्यात्मनि यत्सुखम्। स ब्रह्मयोगयुक्तात्मा सुखमक्षयमश्नुते।।5.21।। English Translation - Swami Gambirananda 5.21 With his heart unattached to external objects, he gets the bliss that is in the Self. With his heart absorbed in meditation on Brahman, he acires undecaying Bliss. English Translation - Swami Sivananda 5.21 With the self unattached to external contacts he finds happiness in the Self; with the self engaged in the meditation of Brahman he attains to the endless happiness. English Translation - Dr. S. Sankaranarayan 5.21. The enjoyments that are born of contacts [with objects] are indeed nothing but sources of misery and have beginning and end. [Hence], an intelligent man does not get delighted in them, O son of Kunti ! English Commentary - Swami Sivananda 5.21 बाह्यस्पर्शेषु in external contacts? असक्तात्मा one whose mind is unattached? विन्दति finds? आत्मनि in,the Self? यत् (that) which? सुखम् happiness? सः he? ब्रह्मयोगयुक्तात्मा with the self engaged in the meditation of Brahman? सुखम् happiness? अक्षयम् endless? अश्नुते enjoys.Commentary When the mind is not attached to external objects of the senses? when one is deeply engaged in the contemplation of Brahman? he finds undecaying bliss in the Self within. If you want to enjoy the imperishable happiness of the Self within? you will have to withdraw the senses from their respective objects and plunge yourself in deep meditation on the Self within. This is the gist of this verse. English Translation of Sanskrit Commentary By Sri Shankaracharya's 5.21 Asakta-atma, with his heart, internal organ, unattached, bahya-sparsesu, to external objects-sparsah means objects that are contacted, viz sound etc.; bahya-sparsah means those things which are external (bahya) and are objects of contact; that person who thus has his heart unattached, who derives no happiness from objects; he vindati, gets that sukham, bliss; yat, which is; atmani, in the Self. Brahma-yoga-yukta-atma, with his heart absorbed in meditation on Brahman-meditation (yoga) on Brahman is brahma-yoga; one whose internal organ (atma) is absorbed in (yukta), engaged in, that meditation on Brahman is brahma-yoga-yukta-atma; he asnute, acires; aksayam, undecaying; sukham, Bliss. So, he who cherishes undecaying happiness in the Self should withdraw the organs from the momentary happiness in external objects. This is the meaning. For this reason also one should withdraw: English Translation of Commentary - Dr. S. Sankaranarayan 5.21 He, in whom there is no desire for the external touch viz., the object-he thinks says as follows the Bhagawat - English Translation of Ramanuja's Sanskrit Commentary 5.21 He who finds happiness in the self within himself, his mind detached from external contact in the manner already mentioned, i.e., from experience of objects other than the self - such a person abandoning the contemplation on Prakrti or bodily experiences, has his mind engaged in the contemplation on Brahman i.e., the Atman. Thus he attains everlasting bliss which consists in the experience of Brahman (the self). Sri Krsna speaks of the abandonment of material pleasure as easy: Commentary - Chakravarthi Ji His mind is not attached (asaktatma) to the happiness of sense objects (bahya sparsesu), since he experiences in the soul (atmani) happiness from having attained paramatma. He attains that happiness permanently (aksayam), since, in constantly relishing the sweetness, he does not relish lower things. Rudra Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary The reason why a person is free from delusion and has there mind fixed in transcendence is now being given by Lord Krishna. The word sparsesu means sense pleasures and those attached to them are called spharsa. But one whose mind is unattached and is withdrawn internally ceases to crave, yearn and desire for indulging in the objects of the senses. Such a person attains the sublime and serene bliss that is the nature of the atma or soul. Having attained the wonder of atma tattva or realisation of the soul one continuously identifies with the Brahman by being immersed in this consciousness and experiences never ending bliss. Brahma Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary In this verse Lord Krishna again clarifies yoga or the science of the individual consciousness attaining communion with the ultimate consciousness and how this relates to equanimity of actions. Without any other desires internal or external only the person who relishes and revels in the atma or eternal soul is alone eligible for realisation of the Brahman or the spiritual substratum pervading all existence and the bliss accompanying it. The communion of the atma is the same as the communion of the Brahman for they both possess the same eternal nature and the only way this communion can be attained is through mediation of yoga and no other way. Now begins the summary. So it can be understood that if even by remembrance of the potencies of the Supreme Lord so much happiness can be gained then what can be said for one who devotes themselves wholeheartedly to the Supreme Lord in a concentrated manner. Shri Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary Here Lord Krishna describes the reality for the person who desists from attachments to anything except the atma or eternal soul and who derives all pleasures exclusively from their internal relationship with the atma relinquishing all desires for sensuous material enticements and instead delighting in brahma-yoga or the science of the individual consciousness attaining communion with the Ultimate Consciousness by realising the spiritual substratum pervading all existence. Such a person attains sukham- aksayam or imperishable happiness. Next it will be illustrated how desire for material sense gratification can be easily abandoned. Kumara Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary Here Lord Krishna describes the reality for the person who desists from attachments to anything except the atma or eternal soul and who derives all pleasures exclusively from their internal relationship with the atma relinquishing all desires for sensuous material enticements and instead delighting in brahma-yoga or the science of the individual consciousness attaining communion with the Ultimate Consciousness by realising the spiritual substratum pervading all existence. Such a person attains sukham- aksayam or imperishable happiness. Next it will be illustrated how desire for material sense gratification can be easily abandoned. Transliteration Bhagavad Gita 5.21Baahyasparsheshwasaktaatmaa vindatyaatmani yat sukham; Sa brahma yoga yuktaatmaa sukham akshayam ashnute. Word Meanings Bhagavad Gita 5.21bāhya-sparśheṣhu—external sense pleasure; asakta-ātmā—those who are unattached; vindati—find; ātmani—in the self; yat—which; sukham—bliss; saḥ—that person; brahma-yoga yukta-ātmā—those who are united with God through yog; sukham—happiness; akṣhayam—unlimited; aśhnute—experiences